A number of approaches in providing up to three independent axes vehicle control means, or making one or more improvements to an arrangement or layout of a vehicle controls, or both, have been attempted, dating back to an earlier part of the last century. Such efforts include vehicles equipped for operating in a single transportation mode or configurable to operate in more than one transportation mode. However very few of such efforts have been directed to ergonomically improving and simplifying the arrangement of controls made available within vehicle operating compartments incorporating a four-bar assembly providing up to three independent axes of control and configured to provide all necessary directional control of a single transportation mode vehicle, or a vehicle configurable to operate in each of a plurality of transportation modes. And of such few efforts, none have been ideal.
For example, in reference to Ranasey U.S. Pat. No. 1,855,988 FIG. 1, a four-bar like arrangement is shown incorporated onto the front lower third of a control stick (or mast 10) wherein a fourth bar is formed by the two lower pivot points at the centerlines of 15 and 48, and a yoke serving as a 3-axis control input means of this four-bar arrangement is rotatably mounted at the top of a vertically disposed control stick, all of which is directed solely to a controlling of a single transportation mode vehicle. However, as the control stick or mast 10 serves as a vertical bar of Ranasey's four-bar arrangement and merely extends upwardly to receive all control inputs, no ergonomic advantage, or increased operator room under the yoke, or aft of the control stick is provided or described. For example, since Ranasey's mast 10 serves as a control stick, and does not employ the present invention's rearwardly-extending control input shaft mounted to an upper ‘bar’ of a four-bar assembly, its placement will be akin to the placement of a typical control-stick of a vehicle (intended only for flight control). Accordingly, it being located and operable between one's thighs or knees makes it cumbersome to enter and exit a vehicle so configured, while additionally bearing little or no likeness to a vehicle controller incorporated into a vehicle control compartment configurable to also operate in an automobile-like manner. Consequently, in the flight mode, an operator well-acquainted with an automobile driving experience and the placement of the controls in such vehicle control compartments, would find little familiarity with, or analogous to, a typical driving experience in the dynamically-tilting control yoke of the Ranasey approach.
In contrast, the present invention provides a control yoke/steering wheel that appears, is orientated and operates in a non-tilting steering wheel like manner. Thus, those accustomed to operating a steering wheel in an automobile-like manner will find an easy familiarity with the present invention approach when operating a vehicle configured for flight, or configured to operate in an automobile-like manner (such as a roadable aircraft).
It can also be seen that other disadvantages will unavoidably be encountered with the Ranasey control-stick arrangement, such as a yoke-in-lap outcome (e.g., during full up elevator control input) and knee-knocking yoke and/or mast outcome (e.g., during full left and right roll control inputs), neither of which are control inputs analogous to, or familiar to an operator of, a vehicle configurable to also operate in another vehicle mode, for example, in an automobile-like manner. It should also be noted that Ranasey does not describe a four-bar controller arrangement employable in a vehicle mode other than an aircraft or means for quickly limiting a 3-axis controller to only a steering control input. In contrast, the present invention's four-bar controller arrangement includes quick-locking means for selectively prohibiting pitch and roll control input when it is employed with a vehicle configurable to also operate in an automobile-like manner.
The control yoke mounted on the vertically extended bar member (of the Ranasey four-bar arrangement) presents other shortcomings.
In a first example, the control yoke (20) as configured by Ranasey necessarily moves fore and aft over an arced path defined by the top of the mast pivoting around its lower pivot point, during elevator control inputs. Thus, where the yoke goes, the upper portion of the mast must also go, additionally the yoke and mast movements will define a controller operating-range volume intrusively and unnecessarily operating below, between and immediately above one's upper legs. Moreover, if mast 10 was to receive full elevator up input, for example, at a 45° rearward-directed angle, the plane of rotation of the control yoke (i.e., the yoke's inclination) would also be an awkward or unwieldy 45° located at, or just above, one's lap. When in such a position, it could be very difficult, cumbersome or very non-ergonomic applying full rudder (yoke) control input. It is also noted that such controller adjustments would likely feel very unfamiliar or unnatural to an operator experienced in flying an aircraft, and especially so with a dual-mode vehicle when compared to one's automobile steering experience.
In contrast, the present invention's four-bar arrangement may be equipped to provide a control yoke/steering wheel configuration wherein the latter's plane of rotation, or inclination, does not change, during up to 3 independent axes of full control input, or up to 3 simultaneous axes of full control input.
In a second example of shortcomings pertaining the Ranasey approach, the pulley/cable arrangement illustrated and described for rudder control would at least suggest a strong likelihood that unintended yaw control input would be encountered, and possibly unintended cable binding and/or twisting with elevator control inputs, in which case, either or both would indicate the absence of truly independent 3-axis control input. For example, in reference to Ranasey FIG. 2, it can be seen that as the upper end of mast 10 is moved fully to the left (in the illustration), that it would be necessary to apply an additional or coordinated second axis of control input counter-intuitively opposite, to the right (or clockwise), to compensate for the mast aileron input, otherwise cable or wire 24 will be pulled toward the lower part of the mast around pulley 26, and cable or wire 26 will be extended out from the lower part of the mast, imparting unintended right rudder control input. Conversely, when the upper end of mast 10 is moved fully to the right, with no compensating left or counter-clockwise control yoke rotation, the cables or wires would impart unintended left rudder control input. Accordingly, if one cannot enter either of such aileron control inputs without also having to input compensating control input to another control axis, it would be fair and reasonable to conclude that a true independent 3-axis controller is not being offered, or the 3-axis control approach taken is at least one that is comprised. Similarly, but perhaps to a lesser degree, FIG. 3 of the Ranasey patent suggests that when the upper end of mast 10 is moved fully forward or aft during full elevator control inputs, the rudder cables or wires engaged by the pulleys at the bottom of mast 10 will encounter one or more of the following non-independent control input results: twisting, binding, shortening of one or more rudder cables, or their possible misalignment with one or more pulleys.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to address the shortcomings of Ranasey, and deficiencies of other prior art approaches, by applying the present invention's improvements and embodiments mentioned above and those described in the sections to follow, thus it is among the objects of the present inventions to provide such improvements and embodiments.